Starter gearing



Dec. 18, 1934. w, MCGRATH 1,985,182

- STARTER GEARING Filed March 3, 1934 A TOR/VB) INVENTOR Patented flee.I8, 1934 A 'Ihis invention relates to starter gearing for internalcombustion engines of thetype in which the driving connection isestablished automatic l! w en ihe s art l mbtbr is ns ah is disruptedwhen the engine" becomes self -op.era-

tive, and more particularly toIanautomatic startergearingoitheso-calledside meshing type in which the meshing movement ofthe engaging gearmember is transverseto its'axis. 1

. It is an object of thepresent' inventionto pro vide a starter gearingof the above type which is .simplein construction and e'fiicient andreliable in operation.. I I v I Q I It is another object to provide.such a device embodying special provisions't'o insure" continu .ouscranking until'theengine starts.

Isis aiurthe'fobject toprovide such'a device in which the disengagementof the gearingmay be arranged to take place many. desired speed of th din literv l I It is another object to provide suc'hadevice in whichengagement of the driving parts is prevented except-when. thestartingimotorjis operated.

. Fu ther b ts nd d an be animent to those skilled in this art from thefollowing description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawingin which:.. f v

Fig. 1 is an end elevationof a preferred. embodiment of the presentinvention showing the parts in normal or idle position; I

Fig.2 is a si milar view showing crankingposition; and 1 I v Fig. 3 isaside elevationpartly in sectionof .thedevice as illustrated in -Fig.1..f I

Referring first to Fig.13: of the rawin'g, there is illustrated astarting motor 1 having an. eittended armature shaft 2. A driving memberin the te m ,the formof a pinion 3 is freelyjournalled on a I spendingapproximately to the free spinning speed of the startingmotor 1. hereshown this rereducedportion 4 oi' the armature shaft and is yieldablyconnected for rotation therewith'b'y suitable means suchas a coil spring5 anchoredat oneendasindicated at 6 to a driving head' 7 .flxedto thearmature shaft, and anchored-at its other end as indicatedfat 8to aflange or driven head 9onthe pinion 3. I I An intermediate transmissionmember in the form of apinion 1 1 is arranged to-mesh with the drivingpinion 3 and to move bodily transverse toits, axis into and ,out ofdriving engagement with a member 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) of the engine to bestarted. For this purpose a swinging bracket or cradle 'is providedcomprising side members 13 and 14 journalled on extended smooth portionsof the pinion 3, and carrying a bearing memberdfi "formingaf' journalfor the {:13

intermediate pinion 11; ,The journal member 15 may be retained in thebracket in any suitable manner asjfby means of a threaded connectionsuch as indicated ,at 16.

Referringmo'w'more particularly to Figs. 1 and ,2, it will be seen thataccording to the; present invention thereis' provided a; locking meansfor positively. holding theinte'rmediate pinion 11 in driving engagementwith theeng'inemember 12 during the1 jcrankingj operationfjAs hereillustrated this eking means is in the t rm ofat'oggle device"comprising the toggle memberlf? 'pivoted at 18. to a stationarypart'such as a bracket 19 mounted on the iramej'ofthe motorjl, and asecond toggle memberZFpiv Qted at 2 2 to a toggle member. 17 'pjivotedat 23 to the journal member. 15 onJthefSwinging bracket 13, 1'4. Stopmeans in the form" or shoulders 25 and 26 on the toggle memberjs l 'Tandizlg; respectively are pmvided; tolimit" the pivotal movement aboutthe pivot 22 to'a' straight line position as shown in Fig. 2, andyielding means in the form of a spring 2'? is provided tending tostraighten the toggle to its idle position 'so as, to maintain theinter-' mediate pinion l'l'out of engagement with the engine "member'12. -It will be understood that the spring 28 is stronger thanthespring 27 so""' that the spring 2'7 cannotstraightenthe toggle 1'7,21, except when the spring 28 is overcome by thetorque of thedriving'pinion 3 when the cranking operation is initiated. Means, areprovided .for releasing the. locking" device for the intermediate pinion11 by breaking the toggle'l'l, 21 when the driving pinion '3 hasattained a predetermined rotational speed correlea'sing or trippingmeans comprises a pair of centrifugal elements 29, 31 mounted on thearmatur'e. shaftfof the starting motor adjacent the driving .pinion 3with freedom for limited radial,

action of springs 34 and35. The toggle member 21 is provided with an arm36 carrying at its free end an adjustable. abutment member 37which isarrangedadjacent thefperiphery, or the cenvmovement asindicated at 32and 33 against the trifugal elements 29531 when the toggle is in its" ira dfb rne or.

means, 1415 31 will engage the abutment and break the toggle at thepreselected speed of the starting motor at which it is desired to breakthe starting connection.

In the operation of this device and starting with the elements in thepositions shown in Fig. 1, energization of the starting motor 1 causesrapid acceleration dffthe driving pinion 3 the direction o'f the arrowa. The rotational inertia of the intermediate pinion 11 causes thetorque of the driving pinion 3 to swing the bracket 13-, "I4 until theintermediate pinion 11 engages thee-ngine member 12. Further rotation ofthedriving pinion causes the intermediate pinion '11 to come into fullmesh with the engine gear, whereupon the spring 27 straightens thetoggle 1'7, 21 thus locking the gearing in operative positiqn as shownin Fig. 2, whereupon the cranking operation of the engine is initiated.During the cranking 6p s i n. 1 th a mature sha a 1' 3"is ihs'uilicientto iaffect the denmen in, thes Z-e motor, whereupon the cheese: and.ylpt ofspringsfi andBjof' proper strength and' by the adjustment loffstop BIT'theflduration or the positive locked condition of thestartergearing maybe regulated"inaccordance with -'anydesired condit Thus, ininstallati'onswhere false starts arefprevalejnt the centrifugal devicemay if deemed f desirable 'befso" adjusted'as torelease only. at; 1 a]rotational j speed of the" motor v v l'1 ich is well above, its freespinning speed, thusfassurling continuous crankingfuntiratrue start-issecured.

'A1though butfo'n e mbodiment 'of the invention has'beensh described; itwill be under- W stood that other embodiments are possible and "'mansfor releasing said holding means.

2. In an engine starter drive a driving member,

"a tralx'isr'ri'ission member bodily movable transverse to'itsakis intoengagement with a member of the engine to be started,' means for biasingthe transmission member reward idle position, means for the "drivinggear and mounted "forbodily movem ent 'transvrse to its-axisdntoandcater mesh with the drivengearfmeans for po'sfitivelylocking theintermediate gear :in rnes'h with the driven gear and speed "controlledmeans-for "releasing the lock'ing means. V I

4. In an'enginefstarterdrive,adriving geana driven gear, "an"intermediate gear meshing with ft'h'e driving gear and mountedforfbodily move- 'ment transverse to its axis into' "and-but of m'eshwith the driven gear, means includin'g atoggle "structure f orpositively locking the intermediate gearinmeshwith the qriven'gearananie'a'ns controlled by, the speed of the drivinggear 'for breakj ingsaidt'oggletofallow the intermediate gear to return to demeshed position.

5. In an erig'ine starter "-a*dri'vingi"-rnember, a transmission memberbodily moy ble t eb'y into driving engagementwith a "r'x'i be of -the'eng-ine to 'bestar'ted, means includinga t'og'g'le structurefor-"holding thetransm' is's'i'o'n'm "em' 'b'erinengagin position andmeans including a centrifugal 'device resp' onsive" o thefspedbf'thedriving m' em' ber 'forbrak'ing' said toggle. I

6. In "an engine starter,"a drivingfmeiiiber, -a transmission memberbodily movable thereby :t'ran'sverse 1 to itsf axis into 1 drivingengagement with a member of the-engin'e to be'startedQmeanS including atoggle structurefor holding-the transmission memberengaging-position,"means normally maintaining the transmission member-inidleposition, yielding *rneans teriding' tostraighten the toggle whenthe transmission members "moved to driving position and means forbreakfing said-toggle at a predetermined speed -'of the'drivirigm'ember. e

" 7 In an engine starter; a driving meinben-a transmission memberbodilymovable thereby transverse "to its axis into "driving "engagement'jwith a member of fthe engineto be tartedg nieans including atoggle'structur'i" I h v blding the tr'a nsmission "member in engagingposition? means ineludingacentrifugal devic mountedto rotate .wi nl hdrivin me b determined speedto break-said "toggle nd 'y ieldperative t a'premission'mmbertoidle position. I

'-VVITJLIAIVI- LQ" -MOGRATH.

g nieans thereupon operative remove the trans-

